Search Here

A lawsuit was filed on Tuesday (June 11), claiming that Raytheon, the multinational aerospace and defense systems giant, has engaged in discriminatory practices against job seekers who are 40 years or older.

Lawsuit Accuses Raytheon of Age Discrimination in Job Ads

A complaint has been filed by the AARP Foundation and two law firms at the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

It alleges that the language used in specific Raytheon job ads suggests a preference for younger workers, which is believed to be a violation of the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Massachusetts Fair Employment Practices Act, and the Virginia Human Rights Act.

According to the complaint, Since 2019, Mark H. Goldstein, 67, has submitted applications for multiple recently graduated positions at Raytheon.

Goldstein has an extensive background spanning over four decades in various fields including project management, cybersecurity, technology, risk management, security engineering, sales, marketing, engineering, business, as well as consulting.

Furthermore, it was mentioned that Goldstein possesses extensive experience as a contractor for the US Department of Homeland Security.

Additionally, Goldstein has held a federal government security clearance as well as has obtained two crucial certifications in information security and privacy, CNN reported.

Goldstein met all of the criteria for each position, except for being a recent college graduate as well as having more than the relevant work experience sought. Goldstein was never invited to interview for any of these positions.

EEOC Finds Raytheon Guilty of Age Discrimination in Hiring

In 2019, Goldstein submitted an age discrimination complaint to the EEOC. Following an investigation, Raytheon received a Final Determination Letter from the EEOC in March 2021, which highlighted that the company's hiring practices for college graduates were found to be in violation of the federal ADEA.

According to Forbes, through its investigation, the EEOC found that Goldstein was unfairly overlooked for the positions he applied for based on his age, rather than his ability to meet the minimum qualifications.

The investigation revealed that Raytheon's advertisements were found to be in violation of the ADEA due to their discriminatory language. The EEOC believes that the job advertisements indicated a preference for applicants outside of the protected age group.